The Darkness
by gyikhu
Summary: Danger is lurking all around and the darkness captures Lara. Will someone save her in the last moment?


**Hi folks! It's been a while... today a small idea came to my mind, and I wanted to write it. Just a short one, with Lara meeting up with Kurtis again. The story plays after AoD, but it's not connected to it in any way. Have fun reading, and don't forget to review if you have anything to say!**

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Lara Croft was running for her life. Dark streets surrounded her, dark shadows melting into the blackness that was chasing her mercilessly. The echo of her steps travelled down between the houses, her panting mixing up with the eerie sounds of those nameless creatures.

She grabbed her gun, shooting backwards without really being able to aim, but even if she hit one of them, the bullet just shot through the shapeless figure that was floating behind her, coming closer with every second.

Her despair grew as she could feel the cold wind coming, the icy breath of those shadows. All the windows stayed dark, there was no one to help her as if people were too afraid, or their minds were blocked.

Lara quickened the pace, running faster and faster until her muscles started to scream in agony.

The darkness came closer, it touched her back, she could feel the creepy feeling crawling down her spine. Gathering all her strength, she jumped in the air, flipped around with one fluent move, training her twin guns at the blackness behind her, and she emptied the magazines with quick shots. The bullets scraped the air, bursting into those shadows, but they simply flew out of their ways, surrounding Lara as she fell on the ground, landing hard on her back. All air ran out of her lungs, watching those creatures circle her, around and around until her head started to spin, her mind reeled with crazy thoughts. The blackness tightened, pressing her, smothering her. For a moment or two Lara could still sense the cold, wet cobblestones under her back, she could still hold the gun high, her fingers were still desperately pulling the trigger, but then her strength left her, her arms feel limply to her sides.

The shadows came closer again, their spinning melted into a crazy, dark circle above her, she could hear nothing but their maddening shrieks of victory.

"No," she cried out with quick breath that hurt her lungs, and left her weak. She forced herself to keep her mind clear, not to let them win, but her powers were fading. The dark shadows danced, blurred into an endless black swirl. The choir of her death song.

The guns fell out of her hands, her fingers shot to her temples, pressing and rubbing to fight those painful sensations that filled her mind. Lara squeezed her eyes together, shutting out the outer world, but the coldness crept up her legs, and when she looked up again, one dark shadow was floating over her, and she could do nothing against it. In the silence, its quiet whooshes sounded even more nerve-wrecking, and Lara felt paralyzed, not being able to look away.

The shadow lured her, emptied her mind, and she was willing to melt together with it, let it take control of her body, to kill her without a breath of protest. She arched up as if the shadow was pulling her in, and felt the first cold touch that was indescribable with words. Like air, yet firm. Like ice, yet fluid.

Lara was prepared. Prepared to die. She'd always been strong, a real fighter, and in this moment she was unable to do anything against. Actually, she was not willing to do anything against it. Her lips parted, the shadow swam over her, and Lara could feel how it started to suck her soul out of her body. Slowly, torturously, as if emptying a glass of water gulp by gulp until she was dry and nothing more but a useless object without content.

Her breath gathered in the air like a small cloud in the coldness, and Lara could see with her own eyes how life started to leave her. It was somehow a beautiful view. Frighteningly beautiful. She stopped thinking, gave up the last ghost of resistance, and felt like watching a spectacle that was meant only for her. The death-dance of the other shadows faded away, the rustling sounds died, and Lara could only see that one dark shape that was floating above her, covering her body like a protective blanket of the night.

When the glowing orange light flashed above her, she hardly realized it. The shadows swarmed up with a flutter of air, with a cry of pain as the star-shaped weapon slashed through them.

Lara's body fell back to the ground, the cloud of breath stopping for a moment, then slowly returning into her mouth as if being sucked in again. Suddenly she felt pain again, ache that pulled her back to reality, and she drew in an impatient, eager breath as if coming up from under water. All around her the shadows were swirling, the orange light chasing them in a crazy battle until it all mixed up in front of her eyes, and she was unable to grasp it.

She wanted to know what was happening, but the agonizing pain kept her mind blank, her body paralyzed. A weak groan left her mouth, her eyes focused for a moment when a face leaned above her and a hand reached out. It was so familiar, the blue glance that looked at her so worried. It was all a crazy dream, she thought before her eyes closed again, and Lara felt that the darkness won.

...

She woke with a jerk that caused instant headache. Her breath caught when she realized it, and for long minutes she was just lying there, trying to fight back the pain. Pulling out the drawer of her nightstand, her hand groped for a painkiller, and when she found one, she swallowed it without water. Even if this simple move should have showed her that she was in her own bed, Lara needed another half an hour till she started to feel like a human again, and realized she was at home. Lying in her own bed, in her own room, in her own house.

The memory of the night rushed back to her mind, and she could not decide if it had been a dream. Maybe it was only her brain playing with her. Yes, it had to be. He was dead, he could not be there. She sat up on the bed, rubbing her face. Kurtis Trent was dead. It had been just a dream.

But when Lara looked down, there was a strange sign on her belly. A scar that she'd never seen before. She pulled a gentle finger over it. It hurt.

"What the hell?" Lara whispered in the semi-darkness, turning on the bedside lamp to look at it. It was a round scar, a circle with a point in the middle. She blinked a few times, not understanding what she was seeing. When she touched it again, her eyes closed, her body tensed and arched, and she felt it all over again. The shadows around her, the cold blackness, the one floating over her, life leaving her body. Her body jerked again, a jolt of pain dragging her out of the reverie.

If it had not been a dream, had he been real too? No, that couldn't be, Lara thought, climbing out of the bed. Something made her do so. Something forced to her walk out of the room, down the stairs, into the study where she usually welcomed the few guests who showed up in the manor.

She opened the door, and walked in, but the view stopped her after two steps. The two patio doors were wide open, the light summer breeze flying the thin curtains like wings of angels. In the middle, her desk was standing as always, but behind it, in the wide armchair a man was sitting, looking directly at her as if waiting for her all this time. Lara only saw the blue eyes that were shining even in this low light that the moon provided.

She closed her eyes, opened it again just to see if he was not a mirage. An image that her tortured brain made her see, but he was still there. Sitting in the armchair without a move or a word.

"It's you," she managed to say. "You're dead."

Her words made him smile a bit. His strange weapon flew up in the air, glowing, and Lara could see his face now.

"You're dead," she repeated in disbelief. The curtains flew up again, the silence made her edgy. When she made a move, he motioned to the armchair opposite the desk.

"Sit," he said simply as Lara was still standing there, looking at him with wide eyes. He said no more, so she sat down, her arms flat on the armrests, and they were staring at each other for long seconds. Her hazel eyes curious and shocked, his blue ones cold and reserved.

"You were there." It was a simple statement, not a question anymore. "You saved me."

"Yes," he answered, and the weapon was spinning with an even faster speed.

"Why?"

"It doesn't matter." Lara watched him say those words, and could decide what she saw. It was the first time she met him after their brief encounter in Paris, and it confused her. Kurtis Trent had been the only man whom she could not forget. "Stay where you are," he said when Lara stood up, and took a step towards the desk. The weapon moved, lowered between the two of them, spinning in front of Lara to hold her back.

"Why did you save me?" she moved closer, daring a step and the chirugai receded. "Why are you still here?" She did not ask, but somehow knew it had been him bringing her back home.

"Those things would have killed you." When she went around the desk, he stood up, backing away from her.

"You're not afraid of shadows that can't be killed with a normal weapon, but you're afraid of a woman?" she smiled a bit, feeling his unease.

"I'm not afraid of you." His voice was only a throaty whisper in the dark, his gaze holding hers. The chirugai was still floating in front of her chest, leaving only a meter of space between them. It looked dangerous, threatening, but when Lara reached out, it slowed down, letting her slide her fingers into the holes. The blades jumped back to their places, the glow faded, and she was holding the harmless weapon in her hand. He reached out for it, his hand touching hers for a moment.

"You're not?" she asked carefully, but she did not let him take the chirugai from her, hiding it behind her back. "You should be as I'm the only one who can handle this weapon of yours. What does this tell us?"

"It means that you're indeed special," he pulled her closer, swirled her around so she was standing with her back to him now. "Be careful." His hand sneaked around her belly, his fingers touched the scar on her skin lightly. "They marked you. I won't always be there to save you."

"What does that mean?" Lara let out a slow breath when she felt his other hand sliding down her arm.

"Once caught by the darkness, and it will never let you go." He took the chirugai from her, the cold metal slightly touching her skin. She felt his strong chest pressing against her back, felt how his energy chased the blackness away for a moment.

"Darkness is not always a bad thing." Lara could still remember how it had lured her, how it had embraced her.

"Believe me. You know nothing about darkness." He swirled her around again. "And it's better if you don't know it." This time he faced her, looking deep into her eyes that were a bit darker now after the encounter with the shadows.

He leaned in, just like when they had first met, but pulled a bit away when Lara's lips drew closer to his.

"Stay away from them," he whispered, and against all reason his lips captured hers for a slow kiss that fuelled up to something elemental within seconds. Blood boiling, mind reeling, she welcomed his touch, and forgot about those shadows. Her lips parted, her body moulded against him, her warmth pressing to his body, melting into the kiss that was wild and dark.

When he let go, Lara heaved in a few breaths, trying to find the words, but they did not come.

"It would be a shame to lose you to those creatures," he said, hooking a finger under her chin. "Good-bye, Lara Croft." The slow smile back to on his face. The chirugai flew into the air, spinning with crazy speed. "Till next time." He looked at her once more before turning and leaving the room through the patio door.

"Till next time," Lara whispered, watching his fading figure. Her fingers touched the round scar, thinking it was not the last time she'd seen him. The darkness would return, and she could hardly await it.


End file.
